By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a move to create places where young people can have their say, enjoy a home away from home and school away from school affordable and welcoming environments for young people to spend time and explore opportunities for social and personal development in the country, the Pleasant Foundation Sierra Leone has on Monday, 31st May, 2021 commissioned its safe space hub for adolescents and Administrative office at an auspicious event held at Beaconsfield on Ferguson Street in Freetown.
The said Safe Space Hub for adolescents and Administrative Office is situated at F28-F29 Beaconsfield on Ferguson Street in Freetown.
In her address, Marian Pleasant Kargbo, Chief Executive Officer/ Founder of Pleasant Foundation-Sierra Leone, disclosed that during the past six years her organization has been working tremendously in order to support children within the Western Rural District with scholarships and school items worth millions of Leones. She added that they have now decided to expand their scope and in that regard they have decided to change from Pleasant Children Foundation (PCF) to Pleasant Foundation-Sierra Leone of which adolescents, women and youths have been included in their programs.
Marian Pleasant Kargbo pointed out that the expansion will give the Foundation the opportunity to support mothers of the beneficiaries with micro-credits and also open a vocational institute in order to empower Teen Mothers.
She maintained that the commissioning of the Resource Centre and Safe Space Hub for Adolescents will serve as a place where young people can have their say, enjoy a home away from home and school away from school, affordable and welcoming environments for young people to spend time and explore opportunities for social and personal development in the country.
The CEO further revealed that they started with 10 less privileged children but said with the support of certain institutions and individuals in 2020 they were able to donate school items, comprising books, bags, shoes, uniforms etc. worth millions of Leones to 500 less privileged children during their annual event which was tagged “Each One, Educate One Campaign to Send Orphan, Street Children and Less Privileged Kids to School” at the Emirates Hall, within the Rokel Community in the Western Area Rural District, adding that this year they are expected to target 1000 less privileged children.
She encouraged all to make good use of the facility in order to empower themselves and in that vein further stimulated them to take such as an opportunity for them to explore opportunities for social and personal development in return by giving back to society as she is doing currently.
Marian Pleasant Kargbo called on humanitarian organizations and individuals to support them in order to help more children, adding that because of the support they got they decided to extend from 500 children in 2020 saying their dream this year is to target 1000 children maintaining that such could only be actualized if humanitarian organizations and individuals throw their support behind their vision.
